SQWD hookup

[EmilyB]

Does anyone have any pics of this thing hooked up ?

I want to put it on the cube tank as a return. :smile:

[sumpfinfishe]

I have a few pics from when I hooked mine up last year Deb, I'll see if I can find them and upload them for you :mrgreen:

[EmilyB]

Thanks Rich, I knew you'd help me out :biggrin:

[whaase]

Ok, I'm going to bite, what is a SQWD? :biggrin:

WAlter

[sumpfinfishe]

Well I couldn't find the old pics that I had Deb, so I took a few new ones for ya :biggrin:

Hooking up my SQWD was pretty basic although I would suggest the use of hose clamps or zap straps for sure!, as the fittings on the three areas of the SQWD are pretty short and didn't give me a super tight seal with the 1" id vinyl hose :evil:, this is the only flaw I can find with this wavemaker after a years worth of use.
For the returns I just used two 1" 90 elbows and a 2" piece of the same hose for each return, as you can see by the pic that lower elbow that is sitting in the water has been cut, this was done to prevent overflowing the sump. I just measured the height needed after turning off the return pump. I did use black pond tubing at first, but I found it too stiff with the coil ribs so I switched over to vinyl that I just heated up to work-in the curves.

Hope these help you out Deb :wink:

Walter :smile: A SQWD is an alternating current switching device. It's basically a water wheel enclosed in housing that switches a single return into two returns. Here's a link to there site
http://www.3iqventures.com

http://www3.telus.net/sumpfinfishe/images/sqwdA.jpg

http://www3.telus.net/sumpfinfishe/images/sqwdB.jpg

http://www3.telus.net/sumpfinfishe/images/sqwdC.jpg

http://www3.telus.net/sumpfinfishe/images/sqwdD.jpg

[EmilyB]

Great, thanks Rich :mrgreen: What kind of pump do you have on it btw?

[sumpfinfishe]

It's on a Mag3 pushing 350gph and it switches over about every 20 seconds, a larger pump will speed up the switching. There only rated for 1400gph max. so don't go crazy there girl! :razz: :wink:

[whaase]

Are there any dealers in Canada, or just the the website?

Walter

[LostMind]

JL carries them

[whaase]

Found it there, thanks. So these things are kind of like a closed loop system, except they use the sump return. And you could eliminate powerheads in the tank.?

Walter

[LostMind]

whaase... you got things a bit confused with the closed loop and return thing :)

but anyways, yeah, you could use them to replace powerheads. I have one of mine running on a closed loop with a velocity T4 pump. The pump pulls water directly from my tank, and returns it thru the scwd back into the tank, creating a wave action in the tank. I like it.

I also have one scwd hooked up to one of my return pumps (I have two). This setup pulls the water from my sump, back up to the tank thru the scwd, creating even more wave action (actually, creates some nice turbulence because the two scwds always seem to alternate).

[whaase]

whaase... you got things a bit confused with the closed loop and return thing :)

I must! :) I thought I understood. Is it not something like this: You have a bulk head in a tank, it would flow straight to a pump and get sent back to the tank?

Walter

[sumpfinfishe]

Walter,
There main use is for adding an extra return back to your tank, this way you can have a return at either end of the tank, thus helping to eliminate unsightly powerheads and also to add some nice back and fourth movement.

As for availability in your area check with EmilyB as she posted this thread so maybe she got one at a LFS near you or like Lostmind said J&L's carries them here.

[LostMind]

basically, I understand a closed loop as this: water is pulled directly from the tank (thru a bulkhead or whatever) to a pump and pushed directly back into the tank (ie - the water doesnt go thru your sump and your skimmers, filters, etc)

But, it doesnt matter how you classify it...

the scwd merely needs to have water pumping thru it to work :P

[EmilyB]

I got mine from Jon (Canadian Man actually). I've seen them used on closed loop systems, but I'm just using it for a split return from the sump.
:smile:

[christyf5]

I think Wendell has these at Ocean Aquatics as well :biggrin: